The present invention relates to an idler wheel arrangement for rail vehicles, consisting of a wheel rotatably mounted on an axle stub of an axle. In particular, the axle is a rigid cranked straddle axle and the idler wheel having an inside facing the axle. and an opposite outside and holding means for three functional devices, specifically for an ground-contact arrangement, for a transmitter arrangement of an anti-slip device, and for a braking device.
In idler wheel arrangements of the known type, up to three functional devices may be provided, depending on the particular application and in addition to drive means in the case of a driven version. These functional devices include an ground-contact arrangement, a transmitter arrangement of an anti-slip device (in the manner of an anti-lock system), and a braking device. The arrangement of these three functional devices has hitherto presented problems in the case of known idler wheel arrangements, in so far as at least one device has had to be arranged on the wheel inside for reasons of space. This has led to very poor accessibility, for exam le for maintenance and repair work.
The object on which the present invention is based is to provide an idler wheel arrangement of the type mentioned, in which the previously mentioned three functional devices can be arranged in a space-saving and conspicuous way and with markedly improved accessibility.
This is achieved, according to the invention, in that the holding means have a central carrier element fixedly connected on the end face to the axle stub on the outside of the wheel, the carrier element having reception means for fixed components of all three said functional devices, and the wheel being assigned reception means for correspondingly associated components, rotating with the wheel, of the three functional devices, in adaptation to the arrangement of the fixed components.
Via the central carrier element jointly assigned to all three functional devices, advantageously the fixed components of the functional devices can be arranged on the outside of the chassis in an easily accessible and clearly conspicuous way, thus leading to appreciable advantages in terms of assembly and of maintenance and repair work. Preferably, the same carrier element may be used for all the applications occurring in practice, in which case selectively at least one of the said functional devices, or, if appropriate, even none at all, may be mounted. This applies correspondingly to the fixed components and to the reception means, assigned to the wheel, for the respective rotating functional components.
Further advantageous design features of the invention are contained in the subclaims and the following description.
The invention will be explained in more detail with reference to a preferred exemplary embodiment illustrated in the drawing, in which: